Page 40 of Relyn
“Yeah, I’ll give her a ring. This guy’s just playing you.”
“Okay, for you, four hundred credits.”
Nora pulled at the fabric. “How does one get out of this thing?”
“I think you press that button right there,” Wendy said. Sure enough it released the front enclosure of the vest and relaxed the fit enough to begin taking it off.
“Ladies, ladies, you won’t find a better deal. I can’t get it wholesale for three hundred.”
“Three fifty, then. Otherwise, I’ll give you my friend’s number. She’s got all the Mahdfel connections and I’m sure-”
“Mahdfel?” The salesman looked nervous. His arms twitched and his eyes darted around, as if he expected a Mahdfel to showup and find issues with his merchandise. Nora was beginning to suspect some of it must have fallen off the back of a spaceship, or whatever they called it here.
“You have a problem with the Mahdfel?” Wendy asked suspiciously.
“No, no problem. Never any problems. Three seventy-five you said?”
“Three fifty.”
“Right, right.”
Nora handed over her credit stick and he subtracted the credits. He couldn’t get them out of there faster enough. Grom had stood at the doorway to the store the whole time and tagged along with them as they walked down the corridor.
“You think that’s a good deal?” Nora asked as soon as they were far enough away.
“I have no idea, but you definitely look kick ass in it. Makes me want to keep shopping, though I haven’t got any credits. I’ve got money, just back at home.”
“No worries. This is Clover’s credit stick. I plan on paying her back when I get home. I’m sure she won’t mind if we borrow it for a few incidentals. Though, if this is the non sketchy area of the station, I wonder what the sketchy part of it looks like.”
“We’re staying in this section,” Grom suddenly said from behind them. His eyes were darting back and forth. He was apparently taking his bodyguard duty very seriously.
Wendy rolled her eyes and then her eyes lit up. Nora turned to see where she was staring. It was a jewelry store.
“Look at that!” Wendy sprinted ahead and looked at the line of cases filled with shiny things. It wasn’t just the traditional rings, bracelets and necklaces either. Nora tried to figure out how some of the jewelry could even be worn. Her imagination failed her on several pieces.
“I wouldn’t even have a guess at what some of this is worth,” Wendy said.
“Diamonds are only worth a lot on Earth because of their history and the fact that the diamond merchants hoarded them, and made manufactured diamonds seem less luxurious. Who knows if, for example, that stone with the fire,” Nora pointed to a brilliant stone that seemed to be lapping with blue flames, “isn’t as common as a rock on some planet.”
“It sure is pretty though.”
“Maybe we could bring Bright by here. Otherwise, we’re gonna get scammed.”
“I can buy it for you,” Grom said.
Wendy laughed. “I’m a woman of independent means. I don’t need a man to buy me pretty rocks.”
“But-”
“Forget it Grom,” Nora said. “We’re just shopping. Girls look at a lot of pretty things they don’t intend to buy.”
Grom retreated back into his sulky silence and they continued on their shopping trip. Further on they found another clothing shop that seemed to be absent a sly salesman. Nora found a dark brown coat that matched her new vest, and Wendy found a pair of pants that both of them agreed were kick ass. Everything fit perfectly because the clerks took a quick body scan and replicated the design to match their exact dimensions. Nora had heard that this tech was available in some higher end Earth stores, but it was way out of her limit as a teacher. Here, even the coat was only a hundred and twenty credits instead of the thousands of dollars it might cost on Earth.
Nora picked up a floral blouse for her mom and a jaunty fedora style hat for her father. When she put it on her own head and donned her jacket she felt like a combination of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones. Perhaps if she had a scarf, it would be more like the Doctor.
“Do they sell scarves in space?” Nora asked.
“I’m sure they do. I haven’t seen any. Not sure if they are a seasonal thing, or if they even have seasons here. It’s not like the weather changes.”
